Nearly 1.3 billion smartphones sold in 2014

1.9 billion by 2018

Smartphones are without a shadow of doubt the most successful product of the start of the 21st century. Last year, one billion smartphones were sold, but this year, that has grown 26.3 % to nearly 1.3 billion smartphones.

That pace is no longer manageable according to IDC, which expects 2015 to still boost numbers up to 1.4 billion, and to some 1.9 billion smartphones by 2018. That would mean the market would grow some 10 % per year.

The majority of that growth will be created in the emerging countries, leading IDC to expect the average price to drop from 240 to 190 euro in 2018. Prices in emerging countries like India could even drop to 80 euro by 2018.

Android rules

Android’s dominance is impressive, to say the least: More than 8 out of 10 smartphones use the operating system. Apple is second with its iOS operating system (13.8 %) while Windows Phone reaches 2.7 %. The latter should be able to grow its market share to 5.6 % by 2018, while Android and iOS will likely drop a tad by then.

Remarkable: Android may have an 82.3 % market share (in numbers), but in actual value (dollars), its market share is ‘only’ 66.6 %. Apple, despite a mere 13.8 % in market share (in numbers), attracts well over 30 % of actual value.